


Merlin and the Clotpole

by haloburns, IWriteLikeImRunningOutOfTime



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur is Beast (Beauty and the Beast), Beauty and the Beast AU, M/M, Merlin is Belle (Beauty and the Beast), finished merlin then restarted it and i love these boys, protect merlin at all costs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-08 17:12:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12869229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haloburns/pseuds/haloburns, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWriteLikeImRunningOutOfTime/pseuds/IWriteLikeImRunningOutOfTime
Summary: Arthur is cursed by Morgana to remain a beast for his actions against magic. If he could learn to respect magic and learn that not all magic is corrupt as his father believed, then the curse might be broken.Merlin, as always, makes this difficult.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first merlin fic and let me tell you... i love these boys with all my heart. this should be a quick fic, as i kind of already have the ideas fleshed out and it's not going to be long and drawn out.
> 
> enjoy!

Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish and ignorant.

But then one winter's night, an old sorceress came to the castle and offered him a powerful sword in commemoration of his late father. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for not all magic is corrupt. But when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal the beautiful sorceress Morgana.

The prince tried to imprison her for treason, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no understanding in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him to mirror the hideous beast his father had created and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his father’s actions, Arthur concealed himself inside his castle with only his enchanted paintings to keep him sane.

The sword she had offered was truly an enchanted sword, which would sink below the surface of the enchanted lake until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to understand and respect another’s magic and earn their respect in return by the time the sword sank to below the surface, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to respect Arthur?

* * *

“Merlin!” Gaius yelled from his bench. There was a loud thud as several books crashed to the floor and Merlin with them. The young wizard thundered down the stairs, ink smeared across his face and hands, looking too innocent.

“Yes, Gaius?” he said, his tone giving him away almost immediately.

“What did I tell you about taking spell books out of my sight?” the older man reprimanded. Merlin feebly protested before dropping his head under Gaius’ arched eyebrow.

“That it’s dangerous and I should only practice under your tutelage,” he intoned. He’d heard it a million times, but it just didn’t want to sink in…

Gaius sighed and gave Merlin The Look and shook his head.

“Come and eat, then,” Gaius said as he set two plain bowls onto their worn table. Merlin gave him a cheeky grin before settling down across from Gaius. The dinner passed relatively easily, but before Merlin could disappear upstairs with his book, Gaius told him to bring it back down or he’d be delivering medicines for a week.

The night slowly crept up on Merlin, and once Gaius was asleep, he slipped out. He sometimes felt bad, sneaking out while Gaius was unaware, but he never allowed Merlin to truly test the limits of what he could do.

_“You must never use your magic in excess. Never draw attention to what you can do.”_

The town noticed odd things happening around Merlin nonetheless. Perfect sidesteps out of disaster, catching people at the right moment, knowing where something is without doing much looking. They chalked it up to good intuition and nothing more, but there was something...strange about Merlin. Villagers _swear_ his eyes are gold, but when they look more closely, they’re blue again. When they ask him about it, he smirks and tells them it was simply a trick of the flame.

It wasn’t exactly easy for Merlin to hide his magic. Magic was who he was, part of his very _soul_. Every time he hid his magic, it felt like he was lying to himself. And if he was lying to himself, how could he keep up the lie before others?

“Merlin, is that you?”

Merlin jumped and turned around, only to see Gwaine and Percival, his only friends in the village.

“Oh,” he said with a sigh of relief, “It’s only you two.”

  
“Only us?” Gwaine said in mock offense, looking back at Percival like “Can you believe this?”

“Better you than Gaius,” he said, shouldering his bag again.

“Where are you off to, then?” Percival asked as the two men fell instep on either side of Merlin. Dawn was still a few hours off, but Merlin had a lot to get done before going back to help Gaius.

“More herb collecting. Some of them can only be found at night at certain times of the year… It’s a tedious business, but Gaius says it’s either that or pay rent.”

Gwaine wrinkled his nose. “You should come with us to the tavern, Merlin. It’ll be loads more fun than whatever you’re doing.”

“I can’t do that. Work for Gaius and all!” Looking at the horses in the stable nearby, Merlin spooked them, his eyes flashing gold. Gwaine and Percival turned around, searching for what might have scared them in the rather still night and Merlin took that as his opportunity to head for the nearby forest where he often practiced. He slipped through the dark alleys with practiced ease, relaxing once he reached the edge of the forest. A small flame in the palm of his hand led him deeper into the forest, where he found his favorite clearing and pulled his books from the bag. Flames hovered over his head and he started reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adi_Bug and I are blown away by how well this story is being received, we pumped out the second chapter in record time! Hope you all enjoy.

In the morning, after just barely slipping past Gaius, Merlin was woken rather rudely by Gaius’ calls for him to help ready Kilgharrah for his trip. He groaned and rolled out of bed, pretending he hadn’t spent the entire night in the forest bent over a book. The dappled horse snorted at Merlin as he entered the small shack that pretended to be a stable.

“Morning to you too,” Merlin said as he avoided a nip from the snotty horse. Feed and water were set in front of him as Merlin prepared Gaius’ saddle. The hardest part would be getting the bit in Kilgharrah’s mouth. He hated it and Merlin ended up with a bite mark every time.

“Please play nice today,” he murmured. He attempted to sneak up on the horse. Unfortunately, Merlin wasn’t as sneaky as he liked to think and he had new teeth marks on his arm. But he got the bit in his mouth, and that was the important part. 

“Arse,” Merlin cursed as he left. Kilgharrah kicked and a bucket fell onto Merlin’s head. _That damn horse is too smart for his own good._ He rubbed his head and made his way back into the house. 

The morning passed quickly and Gaius was soon ready to leave by noon.

“What do you want from Mercia?” Gaius asked as he mounted Kilgharrah.

“A book on magic.”

A fond smile looked down at Merlin. “You always ask for that,” Gaius said, shaking his head.

“And you always deliver. Please, I’ve already read through everything in the house.” His father in all by blood couldn’t deny the earnest in Merlin’s eyes, so he agreed.

“I’ll be back in two day’s time!” he called over his shoulder as he rode into the forest. His form was quickly swallowed by the trees and Merlin turned back into the house. With Gaius gone and no medicines to deliver, he was determined to catch up on his sleep.

But of course, Merlin was rarely granted a reprieve. Someone was banging on the door and Merlin couldn’t help but groan. He just wanted to sleep, was that so much to ask for?

“Merlin! I know you’re in there! I just saw Gaius leave, you can’t hide from me!” Grumbling and thinking of cursing whoever was at his door, Merlin stomped down the stone stairs.

“Gwaine,” he said with a dirty look. When he’d opened the door, Gwaine had pushed his way in, Percival following close behind as always.

“We’re going to a festival and you’re coming with us.” It wasn’t a question or an offer. It was a command worthy of someone above Gwaine’s station.

“Gaius just left and I’m tired from… collecting herbs last night.”

The excuse was worthless.

“You’re coming with us, Merlin, and that’s the end of it. We’ll have fun, promise,” Percival said as he grabbed one of Merlin’s scrawny arms. Gwaine grabbed the other and together they dragged the young sorcerer to the door. Merlin was resigned to not go, so his eyes flashed and Percival and Gwaine yanked their hands away as if they were bitten.

“I’m sorry, we seem to have a flea problem…” Merlin said by way of excuse. “I can’t go, I have to fumigate the house before Gaius gets back!”

His friends rolled their eyes at him. “Merlin, there’s _plenty_ of time for you to get rid of your flea problem,” Percival said. “Gaius is gone for a fortnight at least. The festival is here for less than that. You’re always working, doing something or other for your uncle. You deserve to do something for yourself!”

“Percy’s right,” Gwaine said, completely ignoring Percival’s indignant cry of ‘ _Don’t call me Percy!’._ “And what better way to do that than to join your dearest friends at a festival?”

Merlin grumbled but agreed. His friends cheered and dragged him from the house. The festival was loud and crowded, but Percival and Gwaine were right, he did deserve a day off… And who didn’t enjoy a good joust?

* * *

“Kilgharrah, where are you taking me? This is not the way to Mercia,” Gaius chided, trying to redirect his stubborn horse by pulling the reins. The forest around them was unknown to Gaius, no landmarks to show where he is and where he has been. There was nothing but endless trees around him.

Gaius would not say he was a superstitious man; he was a man of science, had devoted his life to it. Though he used magic, he did not overly-depend on it to solve his problems –a philosophy he was trying to impart on his young ward.

He understood Merlin’s frustration, to explore and expand the limits of what he could do. But the youth could be rash, hurrying headlong into things without considering the consequences of doing so. If there was anything Gaius wanted to do, it was to impart what he knew to Merlin, if only to spare him from the mistakes Gaius had made in _his_ youth.

Kilgharrah bucked suddenly, drawing Gaius away from his thoughts. “What is it now?” The horse had stopped and Gaius realized that they had arrived at a large castle. It loomed above him, not welcoming in the least. Daunting, iron gates blocked the pathway to the entrance and an air of emptiness saturated the air.

How did Gaius not see the castle beforehand? There had been nothing but trees before him, the castle seemed to have appeared out of thin air. “Why have you led me here, Kilgharrah?” he murmured, dismounting from the horse.

He approached the foreboding gates, placing a hand on a cold, rusting bar before jerking his hand away as the gates swung open, creaking from disuse. He looked around, trying to see who could have opened the gate, but there was no one in sight. He cautiously entered the gate, watching in case someone appeared, but the further he walked in, the more he began to suspect that no one would be coming.  

When he reached the ornate wooden doors that were the entrance to the castle, the iron gates shut close behind him. Gaius took in a deep breath. It seemed there was only one thing to do. He raised a fist and knocked on the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Like the gate, the doors swung open on their own. Either the staff was exceptional in their ability not to be seen, or the castle had a sorcerer in its midsts. Magic crackled through the air, sharper than in any druid camp Gaius had visited. The hair on his neck stood on end as he shuffled through the castle.

“Hello?” Gaius called out. His second hello rang through the halls with an eerie emptiness. Whispers drew his attention down a hallway and Gaius followed them, hoping to find the master of the castle.

“Is someone there?” he asked, knowing it was unlikely to get an answer. Still, he continued. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I’ve lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night.” His calls went unanswered, but Gaius felt drawn to the firelight flickering in an open doorway. He made his way towards it, calling out his intentions to whoever was listening.

“Wherever you are, I’m just going to warm myself by the fire…”

The room was an immaculate library. Books were stacked along the floor in piles and resting open on tables. The shelves seemed to go on for an eternity both towards the ceiling and along the walls. Gaius ignored the lure of knowledge for the warmth of the roaring fire near a window.

Gaius let his gaze wander over a beautiful painting of a serving girl, her smile gentle and kind. He wondered who would think to paint a serving girl and hang her in a place of honor like the library...

He raised an eyebrow when she shifted her weight.

“Hello there,” he said with mild surprise. Gaius thought he might’ve imagined the shifting weight, but when she heard his voice, her eyes widened. He’d only read of enchanted paintings, in theory, he didn’t know any had been created.

“Oh, Lancelot said I shouldn’t have come in here… But it’s been so long since I’ve seen anyone but him! And he thought it might frighten you…” she explained with a sheepish smile on her face.

“My dear, there is little you could do to frighten me. Is there a place I might be able to stay for the night?”

The girl seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of someone else in the castle and she hurried out of the frame to inquire about sleeping arrangements. Content, Gaius turned away from the painting to inspect the room further. Maybe there were more magical items in this room. As he turned, the light from the fireplace caught on something in the corner, drawing Gaius’ attention yet again. Thoroughly warm, he moved to investigate what was making such light.

Once he reached the far corner, he realized it was a book with golden lettering glinting. The book, unlike the others around it, was untouched by dust and time. The edges of the cover were sharp and fine, the letters crisp and freshly leafed. The pages still smelled of fresh ink. Surprised as he was at the condition of the book, he was more surprised at its content.

“Magic,” he exhaled. The book sang with it, Gaius could feel it under his fingertips as he turned each page.

“I did promise Merlin a book on magic…” he mumbled to himself. The further he delved into the pages, the more oblivious he became to the sounds of shuffling behind him.

The dark shadow that fell over him was unmistakable, however.

* * *

Merlin stumbled home later than he wanted, smelling of ale and sweat. Percival had taken Gwaine, who could barely stand, home to sleep off tonight’s fun so they could do it again tomorrow. As much as Merlin loved Gaius, this was the most fun he’d had in a long time.

As he walked towards the front door, he knew something was off, even with the ale in his system. Confirmation came in the way of a distinctive snort and the warm breath of Kilgharrah.

“Wha--?” was Merlin’s profound inquiry.

“Kilgharrah, where’s Gaius?” he asked, sobering immediately. When the horse simply looked at him, Merlin ran inside to grab his jacket and bag.

He looked Kilgharrah in the eyes and said, “Take me to him.”

The ride through the forest was hard and fast, branches snagging Merlin’s face and jacket. Kilgharrah seemed to know the way, leaving Merlin simply along for the ride. Before dawn started to break, Kilgharrah slowed his pace as they approached a large castle, silent and dark.

Magic was unmistakable and Merlin was immediately on alert, muttering for Kilgharrah to not wander off. The doors swung open on their own, startling Merlin. When he found no one on the other side, panic started to seep into his system. No doubt an evil sorcerer had captured Gaius from his trip. What they’d want with an old man like Gaius, he had no idea.

Merlin knew the castle was huge. It was unlikely he’d find Gaius on his own. A quick whispered spell gave him a glowing ball that he asked to help him find Gaius.

It floated in mid-air for a moment, before zipping off up the stairs. Exasperated, Merlin lit a flame in his hand and ran to catch up with it.

Merlin was panting as he reached the top of a tower. The little ball of light dissipated with a hiss.

“Merlin?” Gaius sounded stressed, but no worse for wear than any other given day. “How did you find me?”

“Kilgharrah led the way, and then magic led me here,” he said. He was inspecting the door of the cell containing Gaius, trying to decipher the best way to open it and spring Gaius.

“Merlin, don’t. You must leave at once.”

“I’m not leaving you here, Gaius.”

Gaius sighed as if heavily put upon (with Merlin, he was). “There is strong magic here, stronger than even you can manage. You must go before he finds you!”

“Who?”

Merlin’s line of inquiry was interrupted by a low rumbling growl. He couldn’t tell where it was coming from, it echoed off all the stone surrounding him. Magic gathered around Merlin in anticipation of a fight, even as he called out, “Who’s there?”

No answer came.

“Who are you?” Merlin demanded again as he grew angrier. He was exhausted and he just wanted to take Gaius and go home.

“Who are _you_?” came the haughty reply. Merlin scoffed at the tone and rolled his eyes.

“I’m here for the tea party. Did you forget?” He ignored Gaius’ chiding words, turning again to try and identify the voice. “I’ve come for my father.”

“Your father is a sorcerer.” A shadow shifted along the wall and Merlin turned towards it, light leaping to his fingers. Even with the light of ten candles in his hand, the voice was without a body. “I found him with a spell book.”

“I asked for the book. Punish me instead.” Where panic had been before, now there was only the knowledge of what he had to do.

“Merlin, no! He means forever! Apparently, that’s what happens around here if you even so much as _read_ about magic,” Gaius said with a reproving look towards the voice. It was a look Merlin knew well.

“A life sentence for knowledge?” Even as he said it, he knew it was wrong. “Or a life sentence for magic?”

A roar reverberated throughout the stone tower. A large shape landed in front of Merlin, who stumbled back a little from the hulking mass.

“I received eternal damnation because of magic,” the voice said bitterly, stalking towards Merlin now. “Locking the old man up is only a fraction of what I’ve to suffer. Do you still want to take his place?”

Refusing to listen to the condescending tone any longer, Merlin held up his flames and moved closer to whatever it was that landed in front of him. The light fell across the golden scales. Startlingly blue eyes stood out against the opalescent scales and he frowned.

“Choose,” the dragon growled. He turned away from Merlin’s light, tail swishing dangerously close to decapitating Merlin. That left Gaius to chide him once more.

“Merlin, I’m not going to let you do this.”

He turned to face the man who’d helped raise him. Merlin smiled sadly at Gaius and leaned closer, taking Gaius’ hands as he whispered the spell to unlock the gate.

“I’ll escape, I promise,” he whispered so only Gaius could hear. He gently shoved the elderly man away and the door clanged shut. The dragon turned at the noise and looked surprised to see the role reversal.

“You took his place,” he said in astonishment.

“Amazing powers of observation, did they teach you that or is it all natural?” Merlin retorted with a roll of his eyes. The dragon snorted at him, scarlet fire licking at his muzzle in anger.

“You’re a fool,” the dragon told him. His wings stretched as much as they could as he approached the open side of the tower. Gaius was clutched in his claws, calling out for Merlin to prevent this, to change this. But Merlin simply watched as the dragon captor took wing from the tower to deposit Gaius on the front lawn with instructions to go home, most likely.

He sat heavily against the wall of the cell, looking at the door that could do nothing to prevent him leaving if he simply tried. But how many times in his life was he going to say he’s met a _talking dragon_? Gaius told him they were all extinct, that a king named Uther had killed them all in his quest against magic. _Yet one held him captive_. He should be scared. It was a dragon, after all. But all he felt was curiosity. Why was there a dragon wandering around in an old castle and keeping old men captive for reading magic books?

Merlin was determined to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's quote comes from my conversation with irene to hammer out this chapter's details: "he tries to use magic to break out Gaius, Arthur sees and is like "ANOTHER SORCERER (in mAh sWaMP)" "
> 
> leaves kudos and comment! subscribe to the story to see when we update, because lord knows it won't be that regular!


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